О-129

БИТЬ/ЗАБИТЬ ОТБОЙ coll VP subj: human more often impfv ) to relinquish a previous decision, plan, opinion etc: X бьет отбой = X beats a retreat X backs down (out) X changes his tune X back-pedals (in limited contexts) X pulls (draws) in his horns.

Они (Аксёновы) прислали мне смятенное письмо, в котором. .. били отбой насчёт приезда Васи... Хотя за последние два года он донимал их своим своевольным поведением и они сами требовали, чтобы я взяла его к себе, но теперь, когда дело перешло в практическую плоскость, им стало страшно отпускать его в такой дальний путь (Гинзбург 2). They (the Aksyonovs) sent me an embarrassed letter in which they...changed their tune on the subject of Vasya. Although over the past two years he had almost worn them down with his wayward behavior and they themselves had demanded that I take him off their hands, now that it had become a practical possibility they were afraid to send him on such a long journey (2a).